Employees who engage in whistleblowing
A) are disloyal and should be terminated.
B) usually haven’t tried to resolve their problems through normal channels.
C) are, in many cases, providing vital information to their employers.
D) rarely provide information of any value.
E) are not protected by any government regulations.
Answer:
Writing “thank you in advance” at the close of a routine request
A) is courteous and effective.
B) will guarantee a positive response.
C) is best to avoid, since many people find it presumptuous.
D) is most effective when you end the statement with an exclamation point.
E) is expected when your audience is unfamiliar.
Answer:
Successful teamwork, productive meetings, effective listening, and nonverbal
communication depend on ________ among all participants.
A) exclusive face-to-face contact
B) mutual respect and consideration
C) common cultural reference points
D) the use of the latest communication technology
E) none of the above
Answer:
Within two days after an employment interview, you should
A) have a friend call to see whether you got the job.
B) write a follow-up letter (using the format for persuasive messages) and include
another copy of your résumé.
C) follow-up with a short note of thanks, using a tone that’s positive but not
overconfident.
D) assume that you didn’t get the job if you haven’t heard anything.
E) call the employer and say you have received some other job offers (even if you have
not).
Answer:
In composing a résumé, it is best to avoid
A) using the word I.
B) active verbs.
C) prepositions.
D) past-tense.
E) bulleted lists.
Answer:
Which of the following italicized words is an adjective?
A) too dark
B) silent movie
C) into the theater
D) badly missed
E) also included
Answer:
For most audiences, reading online is ________ than reading from a printed page.
A) easier
B) more difficult
C) neither easier nor more difficult
D) much faster
E) more comfortable
Answer:
Which one of the following questions will not help you evaluate the way a business
message is organized?
A) Have you covered all points in the most logical order?
B) Have you achieved the right tone for your audience?
C) Have you repeated any points unnecessarily?
D) Do the most important ideas receive the most space and prominence?
E) Would the message be more convincing if you arranged it in a different sequence?
Answer:
When responding to a request for adjustment when a third party is at fault, the best
approach is to
A) refuse the claim and suggest that the customer sue the third party.
B) refuse the claim but forward the paperwork to the third party.
C) respond promptly, explaining how the problem will be solved.
D) honor the claim but explain that your company was not at fault.
E) refuse the claim but assure the customer that you will never do business with the
third party again.
Answer:
The primary difference between a résumé and a CV is that the CV is likely to be
________ than the résumé.
A) shorter
B) less formal
C) more detailed
D) less detailed
E) easier to read
Answer:
If you translate a message from English into another language, it is a good idea to
A) translate it word for word.
B) have it back-translated.
C) use several translators.
D) rely on internet translators alone, since human translators can’t match their accuracy.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
At the beginning of a research project, you need to
A) develop a formal outline that you plan to stick to throughout your researching and
writing.
B) familiarize yourself with the subject.
C) just jump in by finding resources on the Internet and taking notes.
D) develop the conclusion you want to reach and start looking for evidence that
supports that conclusion.
E) try Google to see if it provides enough information, and if not proceed to databases
and other sources.
Answer:
In a ________ structure, a company supplements the talents of its employees with
services from one or more external partners, such as a design lab or a sales and
distribution company.
A) matrix
B) tall
C) flat
D) network
E) broad
Answer:
In today’s electronic media environment, handwritten thank-you notes
A) are not likely to be read.
B) give the impression that the writer is unprofessional.
C) are often particularly appreciated by the recipient.
D) require too much time to prepare and deliver.
E) are viewed as obsolete, except in personal contexts.
Answer:
If you are asked back for a final job interview, you should expect the interviewer to
focus on
A) your previous job experience.
B) selling you on the advantages of joining the organization.
C) your educational background.
D) checking your references.
E) concerns with whether or not you will truly be a good fit for the organization.
Answer:
According to the concept of media richness, the richness of a medium does not depend
on its ability to
A) facilitate feedback.
B) establish a personal focus.
C) handle multiple information cues simultaneously.
D) convey the appearance of affluence and exclusivity.
E) media richness has nothing to do with any of the choices listed above.
Answer:
Use a lean communication medium for ________ messages.
A) routine
B) complex
C) non-routine
D) controversial
E) all of the above
Answer:
Four important design elements to consider when creating slides include all of the
following except
A) choosing color.
B) selecting background designs.
C) writing content.
D) selecting fonts and type styles.
E) choosing artwork.
Answer:
When making a routine request, you should
A) use the inductive plan.
B) assume that the audience will comply.
C) demand immediate action.
D) explain the consequences of failing to comply.
E) assume that the audience will not comply.
Answer:
Which of the following is not listed among factors to consider when choosing a
medium for your message?
A) Urgency
B) Cost
C) Sender preferences
D) Audience preferences
E) All of the above are listed.
Answer:
Making generous use of descriptive labels, subheads, and other similar devices on a
website
A) confuses and frustrates online readers.
B) helps online readers get oriented to your website.
C) is fine for amateurs, but professional web designers avoid it.
D) is unnecessary if your primary audience can speak English.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
Community Q&A sites offer opportunities for building your personal brand. When
you’re responding to an individual’s question, keep in mind that
A) community Q&A sites are a fad, so responding to questions is a waste of time.
B) your reply to the question will only be relevant to the person who asked it.
C) material that’s posted on a community Q&A site won’t be visible for long.
D) responding to questions can be fun, even if you don’t know what you’re talking
about.
E) you’re responding in advance to anyone who has the same question and visits the
site.
Answer:
Some terms and phrases called ________ have become so common that they have lost
some of their power to communicate, and ________ are newly coined terms often
associated with technology, business, or cultural changes.
A) euphemisms, idioms
B) clichés, buzzwords
C) colloquialisms, clichés
D) pull quotes, derivations
E) jargon, smart talk
Answer:
When writing an employment termination letter, you should
A) include words that are open to interpretation, such as difficult and untidy.
B) clearly present the reasons for the action.
C) not worry about maintaining a good relationship with the employee.
D) make clear to the employee that you have carefully researched relevant employment
laws.
E) express your hope that legal action will not be necessary.
Answer:
Which one of the following is the “leanest” communication medium?
A) Podcasts
B) Posters and signs
C) Telephone conversations
D) Multimedia presentations
E) Conference calls
Answer:
What is the purpose of the bibliography section in a formal report?
A) It fulfills your ethical obligation to credit your sources.
B) It allows readers to consult your sources for more information.
C) It includes the names and subjects mentioned in a report.
D) It includes material that is not directly relevant to all audience members.
E) It fulfills the objectives stated in both A and B.
Answer:
What is wrong with the following sentence? “Having sat on them for two days, the
figures Marcy provided were already too late to help.”
A) It lacks parallelism.
B) It contains a dangling modifier.
C) It contains an awkward pointer.
D) It contains hedging.
E) Nothingit is grammatically correct as written.
Answer:
Using the term crippled in business communication is an example of
A) the “you” attitude.
B) emphasizing the positive.
C) disability bias.
D) bias-free language.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
Two common examples of ________ are the mission statements of companies and the
biographies of executives.
A) business jargon
B) boilerplate text
C) indirect statements
D) automatic writing
E) mnemonics
Answer:
Conducting successful virtual meetings requires ________ before the meeting and
________ during the meeting.
A) less planning, less diligence
B) extra planning, more diligence
C) extra planning, less diligence
D) less planning, extra diligence
E) no planning, no diligence
Answer:
Which of the following would be the most effective headline for a new posting on a
business blog?
A) You Might Already Know It, But…
B) Random Thoughts From My Addled Brain
C) Things We Thought You Needed to Know
D) Seven Reasons To Switch Your Smartphone Carrier
E) Our New Products: A Brief Overview
Answer:
All of the items listed below except ________ are important when you’re completing
messages for your blog.
A) determining the scope and subject of your message
B) evaluating the content and readability of your message
C) proofreading your message to correct errors and oversights
D) using your blogging system’s tools to post your message
E) none of the above.
Answer:
In emailing a vendor for an update on the ship date of your order, what elements should
you include in the closing of your request?
Answer:
Explain the importance of networking as part of your career search, and describe how to
go about finding helpful networks.
Answer:
What does the term AIDA stand for?
Answer:
Describe at least three common business activities affected by contextual differences
across cultures.
Answer:
Define professionalism and list its six distinctive traits.
Answer:
List at least three examples of online etiquette.
Answer:
If you need to include mildly disappointing information in a routine message, what
should you do?
Answer:
Rewrite the following sentence to improve clarity and avoid the long noun sequence:
“The financial estimates and accounting consulting firm will be closed next week.”
Answer:
Explain the difference between a high-context culture and a low-context culture, and
provide at least one example of each.
Answer:
List at least three personal characteristics that can help establish credibility with your
audience.
Answer:
Explain the dual purposes of employment interviews.
Answer:
With so many opportunities to apply for jobs online, is it still worthwhile to prepare a
traditional paper résumé? Why or why not?
Answer:
How can the overuse or misuse of communication technology become a barrier to
effective communication?
Answer:
Describe at least five types of employment interviews.
Answer:
List three categories of common persuasive business messages.
Answer:
Describe the three-step strategy for writing a routine request.
Answer: